The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1887-05-11

tho landlords wife sends their muslin
gowns and Swiss polonaises to be done
up"
"What do wo caro- ?" rctortcd Clara,
with slrug Of her shoulders.
Nothing in tho world. But isn't il
comical, Clara, when one thinks back
over it I'LL : How we came hero with
our cascls and our palcttcs and our
color-tubcs, expecting to make our
fortunes as artists, painting woodland
scenes on birchbarl, and reproducing
the sunsets OH bits Of mill-board. And
then VIC discovered that every farmers
daughter III The ncighborhood was doing
The same thing, and that art was at Il
hopeless discount. And ncXt-you re-
member Clara--we tried to play the
piano for the dancing, until the colored
liddlcrS came over the mountain and
undorbid rs altogether. And We had
no money TO buy our tickets back to
the city, nor TO pay our hotel bills,
until Until l-onc fortunate day the
laundress lost her temper and left at an
hours notice, aud helped Mrs. Fitch
out Of her dilemma ~
"And now" said Clara, "wc are
making eight or ten dollars u week.
"Out OF the wasll-tub," said
Hosamond, blthely; "and boarding
ourselves. Oh, how thankful l am that
| spent that long, drcary, dismal winter
with old Aunt Abigail, in a haunted
house where 10 help could be induced
to stay, and then and there learned to
wash and iron equal to any heathcn
Chincc ~
"G believe, Rosamond," (" "that you
would laugh at anythang."
"But it is SO ridiculous" persisted
merry Rosamond. "ro think Of the
downfall that our lofty ideas had.
From artist to washcrwoman From
Prussian blue and Venetian red to
indigo bags and starcll!''
And she jumped up and ran back TO
the boiler, which was now splutterlng
and bubbling like some infuriatcl
monster.
cts boiling over, Clara it's boiling
ovcrl" sho cried, in loud, sweet
accents "IIelp me off with it quick,
or the clothes will be burned.
"Allow me-" spoke calm, deep
voice; and tho next moment the kettle
was swung off the impromptu crane
upon tho grass below, and Rosamond
Rayforth found herself face to face
with Captain Afford, The taller and
handsomcr Of tho two officers with
whom she had waltzcd the midnight
before. NYhilc Harry Drayton, the
younger cavaryman, advanced through
the bushes, with his gun balanced over
his shoulder, and the countcnance of
ono who was sure Of welcome.
$50 this is camp !" said he.
Yves, - said }osamond, stceling her
self to the occasion; "this is the camp |!
Won't you walk in, Captain Afford ?
And you, MI. Drayton ~
"But | shall be interrupting you !"
Rosamond smiled; u CHEEKY sparkle
came into her soft. dark eyes.
"a llttlo,' she owned. eve arc
always busy at this time Of day, Clara
and l. In tho afternoon-on only in the
afternoon will probably see us at
tho hotel, in or best frocks and with
our hair out Of crimping pins.
Captain Afford glanced hclplcssly
around.
ooh, r see,'' said he "But lust
hero you are"
"Doing tllo washing" explained
Rosamond, sercnely, "Don't you see
the clothes on tho lines ? And wo shall
be ironing i'll ali hour or two. we arc
worling-bees, Captain Alford,n
"Couldn't we help ?" said Harry
Drayton, grounding arms at once.
"I'm afraid not !" said Clara rcddcn-
ing.
"Oh, Captain Alford,'' cried Rosa
mond, unable longer to roprcss llcr
laughter, "don't look 50 bewildered,
and I'll tell you the beginning, the
middle and tho end Of 1t at once ~
81 suppose you are doing this for Il
joke" said Captain Afford; cor as -
wager, perhaps. Iadlc9 10 sometimes
bet, as / have heard.n
But Rosamond shook her head, still
with the roguish dimples cleaning
around her lips, tho diamond-sparklcs
in her eyes.
NO." said she, "we are not doing it
for q joke, nor yet for wager. We
came up hero as artists. but we soon
found that we should starve to death
on art.D